Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PayPal Braintree VS Stripe Connect

Compare PayPal Braintree VS Stripe Connect and see what are their differences

PayPal Braintree logo PayPal Braintree

An all-in-one solution to accept, process, and split payments in your mobile app or online - from small business to large enterprise.

Stripe Connect logo Stripe Connect

The payments platform for platforms
  • PayPal Braintree Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-10
  • Stripe Connect Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-10

PayPal Braintree features and specs

  • Comprehensive Payment Options
    Braintree supports a variety of payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more, giving businesses the flexibility to offer multiple payment options to their customers.
  • Global Reach
    Braintree offers support for multiple currencies and countries, making it suitable for businesses that operate or plan to operate internationally.
  • Developer Friendly
    Braintree provides extensive documentation, SDKs, and APIs, making it an excellent choice for developers looking for easy integration and customization.
  • Advanced Security
    Braintree offers robust security features such as PCI compliance, data encryption, and fraud detection tools to ensure transactions are secure.
  • Transparent Pricing
    Braintree offers straightforward and transparent pricing without hidden fees, making it easier for businesses to understand their costs.
  • Recurring Billing
    Braintree supports subscription-based billing and recurring payments, making it ideal for businesses that offer subscription services.

Possible disadvantages of PayPal Braintree

  • Complex Onboarding
    Some users have reported that the onboarding process can be complicated and time-consuming, especially for smaller businesses or those with less technical expertise.
  • Fees for International Transactions
    While Braintree supports global transactions, there are additional fees for currency conversion and international payments, which can add up for businesses with a large international customer base.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Some users have experienced difficulties with the limited availability of customer support, especially when dealing with urgent issues.
  • Complex Fee Structure
    While Braintree's pricing is transparent, it can still be complex with various fees for different types of transactions, making it harder for businesses to estimate their exact costs.
  • Settlement Times
    The time it takes for funds to be settled into the business's bank account can be longer compared to some other payment processors, which might be a concern for businesses needing quicker access to their funds.

Stripe Connect features and specs

  • Ease of Integration
    Stripe Connect simplifies the integration process with well-documented APIs and SDKs, making it easier for developers to implement payment solutions.
  • Global Reach
    Stripe Connect supports a wide range of currencies and payment methods, enabling businesses to operate internationally and meet the needs of global customers.
  • Customizable Payouts
    Stripe Connect allows for flexible account and fund management, including features like instant payouts and control over payment schedules.
  • Scalable Solution
    Stripe Connect is designed to handle businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, offering scalability as businesses grow.
  • Comprehensive Reporting Tools
    The platform includes detailed analytics and reporting tools for tracking transactions, simplifying the financial management process.

Possible disadvantages of Stripe Connect

  • Complex Pricing Structure
    Stripe Connect's pricing can be complex, with various fees for different transaction types and countries, potentially leading to unexpected costs for businesses.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Some users have reported that Stripe's customer support can be lacking in responsiveness, which might create challenges when resolving issues quickly.
  • Geographical Restrictions
    While Stripe Connect operates in many countries, there are still geographical restrictions that might limit access for businesses in certain regions.
  • Technical Complexity for Advanced Features
    Implementing advanced features, particularly for customization, may require a high level of technical expertise, impacting ease of use for less technical users.
  • Compliance and Regulation Overhead
    Businesses need to navigate complex legal and regulatory requirements when using Stripe Connect, which might require additional resources and management.

Analysis of PayPal Braintree

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Braintree Payments is generally considered to be a good option for businesses looking for a reliable, secure, and flexible payment processing solution. It benefits from PayPal’s infrastructure and reputation while providing a suite of advanced tools that are appreciated by both developers and end users.

Why this product is good

  • Braintree Payments, a division of PayPal, is highly regarded for its robust payment processing solutions that cater to both large enterprises and smaller businesses. It offers a wide range of features including support for multiple currencies, fraud protection, seamless integration options, and a flexible pricing model. Its developer-friendly platform includes comprehensive documentation and tools, making it easier to implement customized payment solutions.

Recommended for

  • E-commerce businesses seeking a robust payment gateway.
  • Merchants requiring multi-currency processing.
  • Startups and developers needing flexible integration options.
  • Companies looking for advanced fraud protection features.

Analysis of Stripe Connect

Overall verdict

  • Stripe Connect is a highly recommended solution for businesses and developers seeking a reliable, scalable, and feature-rich payment processing service. Its ability to handle complex transactions and facilitate marketplace operations effectively makes it an excellent choice for both small startups and large enterprises.

Why this product is good

  • Stripe Connect is considered one of the leading payment processing platforms due to its robust API, ease of integration, and comprehensive suite of features tailored for businesses. It supports a wide range of payment methods and currencies, making it suitable for companies operating globally. Additionally, Stripe Connect offers advanced functionality for platforms and marketplaces, such as automated payouts, KYC (Know Your Customer) management, and flexible monetization strategies. The platform's reliability, security features, and excellent developer support also contribute to its strong reputation.

Recommended for

  • Marketplaces looking to manage multi-party payments efficiently
  • Subscription-based businesses needing reliable recurring billing
  • Businesses seeking a global payment processing solution
  • Developers needing a flexible and comprehensive API
  • Companies requiring strong security and compliance features

PayPal Braintree videos

Collect payments with the Braintree payment processor

More videos:

  • Review - Kai's Paypal vs Braintree vs Stripe tour

Stripe Connect videos

create a marketplace with stripe connect

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PayPal Braintree and Stripe Connect)
Online Payments
86 86%
14% 14
Recurring Billing
69 69%
31% 31
Payment Platform
75 75%
25% 25
Finance
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using PayPal Braintree and Stripe Connect. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PayPal Braintree and Stripe Connect

PayPal Braintree Reviews

What to Use Instead of PayPal? 10 Best PayPal Alternatives
Braintree is a PayPal service, but it is still one of the PayPal alternative payment methods worth considering. There is no monthly fee for using this payment service. Accepting payments from credit or debit cards or digital wallets costs 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction. You can also use Braintree to accept Venmo payments in the United States, but this costs 3.49% + $0.49....
Best payment gateway: Top 7 best payment gateways
Braintree, which belongs to PayPal, offers both in-store and online payment processing. It’s a simple service that accepts all the most popular payment methods, with a sleek interface.
Source: wise.com
Would you use Paddle, Chargebee, Chargify, or just Stripe?
The value that those services provide is a single solution for both PayPal and Stripe. It's tempting, but paying someone forever like that isn't ideal. I would roll Stripe to start, then implement Braintree for PayPal at a later time.
Australian Payment Gateways
Ideal for companies who want to want to expand globally (similar to Stripe mentioned above), Braintree (a subsidiary of PayPal) accepts payments in more than 130 currencies, with minimal fees. They also offer a premium mobile experience, accepting cards, PayPal and Apple Pay, and have flexible features including the ability to split payments between you and your...

Stripe Connect Reviews

Top 6 Open Banking API Providers to Consider in 2025 [Updated]
Stripe Connect is primarily known for its payment processing capabilities but offers basic Open Banking API features. While its primary strength is in multi-party transactions, Stripe Connect’s global reach makes it a viable option for businesses seeking a wide range of payment options.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Stripe Connect seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 29 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PayPal Braintree mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PayPal Braintree yet. Tracking of PayPal Braintree recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Stripe Connect mentions (29)

  • Does this violate Stripe's ToS?
    Thanks for the feedback! I do apologize for the lack of information in my original post. Here's some additional color that hopefully clarifies my use case a bit more: Stripe offers a service called Stripe Connect (https://stripe.com/connect) which enables platforms to have intermediary sellers / merchants which collect money from end customers. Ultimately, this can lead to a scenario where an end customer pays a... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Accept PayPal as a payment method with Stripe in the EU, UK and Switzerland
    We recently made PayPal available as a payment method in the EU, UK, and Switzerland, so you can now offer an additional way for your customers to submit payments using their PayPal account. If you have a Connect account, first reach out to the support team to see if you’re eligible. If you’re a direct merchant, meaning you accept payments directly from consumers, let’s go through the steps to enable it. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Is there a way to pay out to clients through Stripe?
    You can do it with Stripe Connect https://stripe.com/connect. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Stripe as payment gateway for a website like Amazon.
    Maybe Stripe Connect would be the best option for the services you are offering: https://stripe.com/connect. If you have any specific questions to your platform, our Sales Team will be happy to help you here: https://stripe.com/contact/sales. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Creating a Direct Deposit Stripe system like Tasker by TaskRabbit
    Previously, our apps have required Sellers/Merchants/Taskers to follow the Stripe Connect flow which is quite extensive. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PayPal Braintree and Stripe Connect, you can also consider the following products

PayPal - PayPal is the faster, safer way to pay online without sharing financial details, send and receive money or accept credit and debit cards as a seller

Stripe - Online payment processing for internet businesses. Stripe is a suite of payment APIs that powers commerce for online businesses of all sizes. Use Stripe’s payment platform to accept and process payments online for easy-to-use commerce solutions.

Sage Intacct - Intacct is a cloud-based accounting and financial management system that is designed for the businesses of all levels.

Payoneer - Whether making international payments, receiving funds, managing your digital business, or accessing capital, Payoneer opens your business up to the world.

Neolink.io - White-label acquiring platform to launch and scale payment businesses.

ProPay - ProPay is a multiple payment making service provider that lets its users to make payment to anyone in any part of the world.